Rose Hudson Wilkin smashes racial, gender barriers in the name of The Father

Rose Hudson Wilkin was born in Montego Bay Jamaica on January 19, 1961. She is more popularly known for being the first black person to become a Church of England Bishop. She has also served as Chaplin to the speaker of the house from 2010 to 2019.

Unlike most, she began her journey to her calling at an incredibly young age. Wilkin was just 14 when she joined the ministry. Rose Hudson Wilkin attended Montego Bay High School, an all-girls school located in the western parish of Jamaica. She was raised by her father and aunt and later met her mother when she was nine years old.

It was in 1979 at age 18, she travelled to the United Kingdom to train at the Church Army College in the West Midlands. By 1991 she was ordained as a deacon in the church of England where she served at St Matthew’s Church in Wolverhampton. Rt Rev Rose Hudson Wilkin was ordained a priest in 1994 and served in east London for 16 years. In 2019, she was installed in Canterbury cathedral as Bishop of Dover, becoming Britain’s first black female bishop.

She is married with three beautiful children. Wilkin met her husband ken, while studying in college. He played a pivotal role in shaping her life as they were in the same field and were like two peas in a pod. When Wilkin was 24, travelled to Jamaica with ken where they got married. She returned to England and had her first of three children. Little did Rev Wilkin know that during her stay she would come face to face with the evil of racism. She has faced many prejudices because of her skin tone. Despite being doubted many times and questioned, she remained steadfast and overcame obstacles no matter how insurmountable they may have seemed.

Rose has received the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander, for outstanding contribution to religion and community development.